I’m a frequent lunch patron at Shiraz Armenian Cuisine and love their menu (though I tend to always order the same thing), but I’ve only been once for dinner, and it was a while ago so it was nearly my first time here for dinner. Our “Foodies dinner” went at a good slow pace, and our waitress was patient, attentive, very pleasant, and eager to tell us about the menu items, some of which we had never heard of. The atmosphere was friendly, clean, and comfy, so I settled in for a cozy dinner with friends. With dietary limitations, I usually stick to something very basic, and then ask the server if the chef can modify it. Though I tried something new to me on this night, I didn’t ask for any modifications, in part to see if the menu description would match what appeared on the table. Happily, my dish was exactly as described – eggplant and chicken kebob on a skewer with rice and simple roasted vegetables – all things my overly sensitive dietary tract can easily tolerate. I was going to play it super safe and just get the chicken kebob, but I chose the eggplant chicken kebob combo because, in my culinary experiences, eggplant can be one of those litmus test foods, like brussel sprouts – if cooked properly, they’re fantastic, but if cooked poorly, they’re barely edible. This eggplant was cooked perfectly – my Italian “foodie” mother would have raved – and delicious. It was a terrific complement to the grilled tender chicken, and I was able to savor all of the flavors and add in sautéed green beans along with half a roasted tomato and half a roasted green pepper, which were probably added for presentation, but were yummy nonetheless. I ate most of my meal but had to bring some home (still good for lunch the next day). All in all, excellent meal, fantastic service (we were not hurried in the least and our server was very sweet and helpful), and a very fun evening. -NM
